Jennifer Lopez to be honored at 25th GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles

GLAAD, the nation's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy organization, announced today it will honor international superstar Jennifer Lopezat the 25th Annual GLAAD Media Awards on April 12th to be held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Lopez, who is currently a judge on “American Idol”, will receive GLAAD's Vanguard Award, which is presented to artists and media professionals who, through their work, have increased the visibility and understanding of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Past recipients include Antonio Banderas, Drew Barrymore, Kristin Chenoweth, Whoopi Goldberg, Janet Jackson, Eric McCormack, Liza Minnelli, Sharon Stone and Elizabeth Taylor.

In addition to being a global sensation with her acting, music, and entrepreneur endeavors (Clothing and perfume line) Lopez is one of the Executive Producers of ABC Family’s hit series "The Fosters", which is a GLAAD Media Award-nominated drama series about a lesbian couple raising a family of biological, adopted, and foster children. The inspiration for Lopez to produce “The Fosters” came from her late aunt, who faced prejudice because of her sexual orientation and was unable to have her own family. She saw the show as an opportunity to make a difference and tell the story of a loving family that happens to have two moms at its helm.

The GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the LGBT community and the issues that affect their lives. They also fund GLAAD's work to amplify stories from the LGBT community that build support for equality. Each year, the GLAAD Media Awards in New York and Los Angeles bring together more than 3,000 advocates and allies to raise critical funds for the organization's work.

To receive the latest updates on the GLAAD Media Awards, follow @glaad on Twitter and use the hashtag #glaadawards.

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Meriam's Showbiz column features profile interviews with celebrities from television, film, music & books. She also covers a wide range of entertainment industry-related events. Meriam graduated from the University of Maryland where she studied American Studies & Journalism. In 07, Meriam studied French Journalism in Paris, France. She has worked for WTOP/CBS News Radio and interned with WJLA ABC7 in D.C. She also has a certificate in digital journalism from the NBC News/New York Film Academy Broadcast Journalism Program.